PESHAWAR: The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sohail Afridi, has said that the matter of timely procurement of the ready tobacco crop be addressed on an emergency basis, and that all necessary measures taken to protect growers from potential financial losses.
He issued these directives during a meeting with a delegation of the Buner Tobacco Action Committee to discuss the challenges faced by tobacco growers, particularly the non-purchase of their ready crop and the resulting situation.
The delegation briefed the chief minister on the difficulties being encountered inthe procurement of tobacco and the risk of potential financial losses to growers.
Provincial Minister for Irrigation Riaz Khan, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Finance, Muzammil Aslam, and Member of the Provincial Assembly, Kabir Khan, were also present on the occasion.
The chief minister directed the relevant authorities to convene an immediate meeting with the chairman of the Pakistan Tobacco Board to take up the issues confronting tobacco growers in Buner.
He said that two local representatives of the growers should be included in the meeting to ensure that their concerns were presented directly to the relevant authorities.
He also directed that the issue of increasing tobacco procurement quota be placed on the agenda of the meeting.
Sohail Afridi said the provincial government would extend all possible support to expedite tobacco procurement process and safeguard the interests of growers.
He also directed the relevant authorities to identify and propose viable measures for addressing the structural issues faced by tobacco growers on a sustainable basis.
The chief minister said that protecting the rights of farmers remains a priority of the provincial government and that, where necessary, the legal framework could also be amended to strengthen such protections.
Sohail Afridi said his government was committed to delivering sustainable solutions to public issues and investing in human development.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026